"Keep thy heart with all diligence, For out of it are the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23

My Friend, the choices that you make
The many things you do...
Decisions, though they may seem small,
End up defining you.

The books you read, the things you buy,
The places that you go...
You face decisions every day;
You answer "yes" or "no."

Each choice you make is like a seed;
That seed will surely grow;
For what you plant within your heart
Takes root within your soul.

That angry word when caught off guard--
An accident? -- Oh no!
It just exposed the heart's true state,
Laid out for all to know.

"But, that's really not me," you say,
Oh no? Then may I ask,
Where did it come from - truly, friend--
If not behind the mask?

Can words or thoughts or actions come
From where they've never been?
For what goes in comes surely out;
This is a proven thing.

The secret pleasures you delight in,
On which your spirit feeds,
Those things which occupy your thoughts
Will soon show forth in deeds.

What you will do when no one sees
Is who you really are;
And like a mirror actions will
Reflect the state of the heart.

You make a choice-- that choice makes you--
A law of life that stands.
So think about each choice, my friend,
When you are making plans.

And so that heart of yours, beware,
And diligently keep.
For issues that pertain to life
Will flow from out of it!

~Sarah Raber